The Cenotaph Challenge

Preston Remembers is a partnership project between Preston City Council, the Preston Museums Group and the University of Central Lancashire, as well as a number of smaller organisations such as the Armed Forces Group, Dig In North West, Preston Vocational Centre and CSV Preston. The project is centred on the forthcoming centenary of the First World War and Preston’s Cenotaph which is in the heart of Preston on Market Square. The much needed restoration of the Cenotaph is almost complete, financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The next phase is a three year activity programme including formal learning opportunities, exhibitions and events, community projects and the creation of digital resources.

One part of the project is the ‘Cenotaph Challenge’. The project is looking to work with local communities to audit, record and research the memorials across the area, working with current and ex-service personnel, youth groups and volunteers. We are also looking to work on the care and maintenance of those memorials most in need.

We are working with the War Memorials Trust, Imperial War Museums and our partners to:-

• offer support to custodians of war memorials, in the form of practical advice and work, as well as financial assistance.

• involve volunteers who wish to work on the project in many different aspects, whether on caring for one local memorial or researching names from across the city. Volunteers will be offered substantial training and opportunities to learn more so they get the best possible experience

(If you are interested in volunteering with the project, please fill in the attached application form and bring it to one of the December events, or return it directly to Claire Selby)

• engage young people, including the Armed Forces Cadets, the Sea Scouts, local Guide and Scout troops and schools to help them learn more about this vital part of their heritage

• connect to communities to help with the care and maintenance of their local war memorial to engender pride

The drop-in events in December will be a chance to find out more and sign up for further events including training for volunteers and grants workshops for custodians.

Please come along to meet those involved on the project, and for some festive refreshments!

Please RSVP to Claire Selby on 01772 906880 or [email protected]

Lancashire and the First World War Conference

23 - 24 November 2013 at the University of Central Lancashire 

£40 both days or £25 per day


For more information and booking please visitwww.prestonremembers.org.uk or call 01772 894500

Featuring:
• Keynote speaker Andy Robertshaw,historical advisor on the film War Horse •
 Over 12 presentations exploring Lancashire's role in the First World War
• Guided visit to the newly restored Preston Cenotaph, Museum of Lancashire and Lancashire Infantry Museum
• Unseen film footage of Preston soldiers in the First World War

Information provided thanks to Keith Vernon, Preston History Network.

Postgraduate Seminar Series

Preston, Blackburn and Burnley Rising Maternal Mortality: a local study 1925 - 1935



Seminar Wednesday 6 November 2013 
5.00-6.30pm 
Livesey House, University of Central Lancashire, Preston by Claire Hadwen.


From the late 1870's, maternal mortality rates had remained on a high plateau. At the turn of the 20th century as birth rates declined and other death rates, such as infant mortality, had begun to fall maternal mortality had continued to rise. This presentation will examine the inter war period of 1925 to 1935 by means of a comparative case study.

Refreshments provided.

Please contact Susan Bailey at [email protected] to confirm your attendance.

Scottish Graveyard Inventory now available on SAFHS website

For those of you with Scottish Ancestors this may prove useful.

The addition of the SAFHS Graveyard Inventory to the SAFHS website has proved very popular, and has also been mentioned on Chris Paton's blog: http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/safhs-inventory-of-scottish-graveyards.html

The Scottish Association of Family History Societies link is - http://safhs.org.uk/burialgrounds.asp

Steve Benson
Deputy Chair
Scottish Association of Family History Societies

From Mike Coyle - Society Chairman

Morning each. A couple of things relating to the Centenary that might be of interest.

Websites you may not have seen:

www.europeana1914-1918.eu
Its a 'crowd sourced' repository for pictures, letters & memories of WW1

www.europeana-collections-1914-1918.eu
Family Stories & 400,000 items from 10 national libraries covering 8 countries, reflecting experience of individuals & groups


www.project.efg1914.eu
Original film, newsreels, documentaries, propaganda and anti war films.
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/europeana19141918
Twitter:  @european1914

ww1centenary.oucs.ox.ac.uk
Teaching & learning resources provided by Oxford Uni.

www.oucs.ox.uk/ww1lit
The WW1 Poetry Digital Archive of text, images, audio & video for teaching, learning & research.

www.rememberthefallen.co.uk
Those commemorated on Worcester War Memorials

In addition, there is a research Project at Bristol Uni on 'Arborglyphs', tree carvings of soldiers of both world wars, regarded as an archaeological resource. 
More info from: [email protected]. Chantel was 2010 'English Heritage Researcher of the Year'.

Snippets from our Chairman's Postbag 



1. Independent, impartial and international coverage of the First World War Centenary and Centennial 2014-2018 at www.centenarynews.com/




2. Centre for North-West Regional Studies, Lancaster University

E-NEWSLETTER, October 2013

Welcome to our latest e-newsletter. In this edition:

• Bookings are now open for two further Study Days – and we are delighted to announce an additional event, a Study Afternoon on Wednesday 4 December 2013
• External event: Public Engagement – what’s in it for older adults and higher education?
• CNWRS books
  
  <more>

3. Letter from the Local Population Studies Society detailing their Lancaster Conference

       <more>

4. Beyond 2011 Census Consultation - From FFHS

I am writing to tell you that we are launching today, 23rd September 2013, a public consultation on ‘The Census and future provision of population statistics in England and Wales’. 

You may be aware that our ‘Beyond 2011’ programme has been reviewing all of the options. Our research has resulted in a clear view that there are two possible approaches to census-taking in the future: 

·        a census once a decade - similar to the 2011 Census but primarily online; or 
·        a census using existing administrative data and compulsory annual surveys. 

Both approaches would provide annual statistics about the size of the population, nationally and for local authorities, as we do currently. A census using existing data and annual surveys would provide statistics about population characteristics every year. An online census would provide more detailed statistics but only once a decade. 

Different users will have different views on the approaches, depending on how they use the data, and we welcome views from anyone. 

The consultation will run for 12 weeks to 13th December 2013. We have arranged a number of events to support the consultation, listed in the link below.  You may wish to be represented. Please feel free to circulate this email to anyone who you think may have an interest.

You can find the consultation document and a link to the online questionnaire here. 

I very much hope that you or your organisation will be able to respond, and we would be very happy to provide further information or to discuss any issues with you direct. 

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or wish to discuss further. 


Beryl Evans
FFHS Archives Liaison Officer
[email protected]

5. UCLAN Postgraduate Seminar Series

Preston, Blackburn and Burnley Rising Maternal Mortality: a local study 1925 - 1935 

From the late 1870's, maternal mortality rates had remained on a high plateau. At the turn of the 20th century as birth rates declined and other death rates, such as infant mortality, had begun to fall maternal mortality had continued to rise. This presentation will examine the inter war period of 1925 to 1935 by means of a comparative case study. 

Refreshments provided.

Please contact Susan Bailey at [email protected] to confirm your attendance.

The Society has recently published details of the Heraldic Glass in Preston Minster on CD. 

This is now available in booklet form - A5, 20 pages. This is only available from the society at £2.00 (plus p&p). 

See the website for details: http://www.lfhhs.org/product_info.php?products_id=93


The booklet contains the images of the Coat of Arms illustrated in the 37 windows of the Minster Church of St John the Evangelist Preston. In addition the blazon of each of the arms is given.

*** Places still available ***
 
Finding Identities: Lancashire and the First World War Conference, 
23-34 November 2013
Organised by the University of Central Lancashire, Preston
 
 
Keynote speaker: Andy Robertshaw
‘The 1st Lancashire Fusiliers on 1st July 1916 in films and photographs’

Conference Background and Aims
On the eve of the centenary of the First World War interest in the conflict has grown - as have debates over local identities, recruitment, the war effort, memorialisation, and the historical sources. As home to many Pals battalions, and a focus of Lord Derby's recruitment efforts, Lancashire is arguably at the heart of these matters. Moreover as the result of the successful Preston City Council bid to refurbish the town memorial, and extensive new research into rarely seen film, new and fascinating evidence of the war and its impact is now coming to light. Of interest to academic researchers, professionals in the heritage and educational sectors and the interested amateur, Finding Identities will include both keynote speakers, and opportunities to visit the Harris Museum and the newly restored Preston Cenotaph; the recently opened First World War gallery in the Museum of Lancashire and the Lancashire Infantry Museum at Fulwood Barracks.

Conference programme has now been drafted, Full details can be found on the conference website:

http://www.uclan.ac.uk/conference_events/finding_identities_lancashire_first_world_war.php

A HISTORY OF DISABILITY: FROM 1050 TO THE PRESENT DAY



Disability in Time and Place reveals how disabled peoples' lives are integral to the heritage all around us.  From leper chapels built in the 1100s to protests about accessibility in the 1980s, 

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/discover/people-and-places/disability-history/